Adventures at A Catholic college: An opportuinity lost
Date Thursday, March 28, 2024 - 12:59 AM PST
Topic Experiences


One can always tell the most about the personality of an entity by how it reacts to inordanate amounts of stress. Lately, this particular Catholic College has had more than it's fair share. A freshman football player committed suicide after finding out he was being prosecuted (in a civil case) for a rape that both the school judicial system and the public judicial system had cleared him of. One shot to the head, and it was over.


At least, for him. For the school, things were just beginning. To start off with, this was one in four reported rapes from just one weekend. While this particular one was ruled as a non-issue (as both verbal consent, and alcohol for both parties had played a part) the other three were pending in the city judicial system. In addition, this student was well-liked by most in the co-ed freshman dorm (which I still contend is a BAD idea). In the three and a half weeks since this suicide, there have been six attempted suicides in this building alone.

Statistics would say this is normal. Every attempt to "reach" students and "provide emotional support" has supposedly been taken. The problem with this? There are two therapists on campus. One is so ultra-religious most students are scared of him. The other is so overloaded she is working 12-hour days on a regular basis. Where else do students have to turn? Not many places. Mostly, their Community Advisors (CAs, instead of the generally accepted RA's). As a hall director, I am in my second year of the CA group, and we do not have the training, or the ability, to handle a crisis like this.

So instead, in comes the spiritual "help." For some, it is welcome. For most, it is not. Why? Because the comfort that the human psyche needs at this point is not met with the priests going on about how the individual that committed suicide was going to hell for his sin, how the woman who accused him of rape is blaming him for her decision to be a slut, and how everyone should confess constantly because they could die at any time.

Am I the only one here that says WOAH! What happened to the concept of human dignity? Of not only caring for the souls of the flock, but also the health, the dignity, the well-being, the emotional life of those that are supposed to be saved? The man who committed suicide is not only sorry for, and regrets, his actions, as was expressed before his death; but there has been so much pain already, why add to it?

At a time that this school had the opportuinity to show it's best colors, the worst have once again flown. My worst fear is that the next student who tries, succeeds. How many students must die before the "leaders" realize that there is a time for compassion?

I only wish that when this man's spirit came to say his final goodbyes, and walk down his hallway once more, he could have been greeted with sadness, loss, and understanding-- not the feelings of hatred and self-loathing that could have been so easily prevented.

This article comes from Shmeng
http://www.shmeng.com/

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